Anisotropy of radiation-induced defects in Yb-implanted β-Ga₂O₃

RE-doped β-Ga₂O₃ seems attractive for future high-power LEDs operating in high irradiation environments. In this work, we pay special attention to the issue of radiation-induced defect anisotropy in β-Ga₂O₃, which is crucial for device manufacturing. Using the RBS/c technique, we have carefully studied the structural changes caused by implantation and post-implantation annealing in two of the most commonly used crystallographic orientations of β-Ga₂O₃, namely the (-201) and (010). The analysis was supported by advanced computer simulations using the McChasy code. Our studies reveal a strong dependence of the structural damage induced by Yb-ion implantation on the crystal orientation, with a significantly higher level of extended defects observed in the (-201) direction than for the (010). In contrast, the concentration and behavior of simple defects seem similar for both oriented crystals, although their evolution suggests the co-existence of two different types of defects in the implanted zone with their different sensitivity to both, radiation and annealing. It has also been found that Yb ions mostly occupy the interstitial positions in β-Ga₂O₃ crystals that remain unchanged after annealing. The location is independent of the crystal orientations. We believe that these studies noticeably extend the knowledge of the radiation-induced defect structure, because they dispel doubts about the differences in the damage level depending on crystal orientation, and are important for further practical applications.